I bought my first copy of 2000 AD, the anthology comic in which Judge Dredd appears, after I first heard about Sylvester Stallone's big screen adaption, way back in 1995. I was blown away by the book and the character, an ultra violent treatment of the cliched "tough cop" character, devouring every issue I could find. It's a pity that the movie was such a mess. An awful, watered down version of a fantastic concept and character. But now, seventeen years later, big screen justice has finally been done to the poster boy of 2000 AD. The fact that is also fantastic film is an added bonus.
In the far future Earth has been devastated by nuclear war. The remainder of humanity lives in vast cities, the biggest of which is Mega City One. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban), one of the city's elite law enforcers, who have the power to dispense justice any way they see fit, is tasked with assessing a rookie, telepathic Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). During a murder investigation in the 200 story apartment block Peach Trees, the building is locked down, forcing the Judges to fight their way through all the floors, and bring vicious drug dealer Ma-Ma (Lena Heady), peddler of time slowing drug Slo-Mo, to justice.
At the moment, it is a great time to a fan of action movies. Between this and The Expendables, the spirit of the genre's greatest era, the 80's, is alive and well. Director Pete Travis goes all out with the action scenes, making us feel every bullet wound, and almost deafening us with the sound of gunfire. Be warned the violence in this is intense. If you ever wanted to witness first hand what happens to a face when it meets concrete, at speed, this is the film for you. The over saturated slow motion segments are thankfully used sparingly, never dulling their impact. I'm not one for the gimmick of 3D, but this is one of the best uses I have seen, and really adds to the enjoyment of the film.
Alex Garland's script is wonderfully simple. This movie is not one for details: the Judges are trapped, they need to escape. That's pretty much it. It moves at a good pace, never stalling, ramping up the action and story as it goes, and delivering some really darkly comic moments. The world of Dredd, while not as over the top as it is in the comic, is wonderfully realised, looking more like a big budget blockbuster than a movie made for $45 million. From the bleached streets of the city, to the dingy confines of Peach Trees, you really get the sense of how seriously messed up the world is, and the fact that the single minded Dredd, who sees things as either right or wrong, is probably it's best hope is beyond scary.
As the title character, Urban nails it. From the voice, which sounds like Clint Eastwood gargling glass, to the fact (comic fans rejoice!) that he never takes off his helmet, he completely embodies Joe Dredd. But it's Thirlby who really impressed me. She handles much of the heavy lifting, story and character wise, pretty much becoming the heart of the movie. For all of the wonderful action, it's her complete change of character when we see the full extent of her powers that stole the show for me. As for Heady, no one plays a villain like her. Ma-Ma is pure evil, and Heady has so much fun with the role. Soft spoken and demure one minute, ready to slit your throat the next.
As the movie Judge Dredd richly deserves, and a hard edged slice of sci-fi action, this movie delivers. Well, well worth a watch.
